Falling for the Nanny (19 page)

Fiona seemed shaken but pleased when Patty assured her that she'd been remarkably brave in rescuing Hoppity. The little girl, seated securely in her father's lap, confirmed that she'd deliberately hung on to the stuffed animal.

“Why did Rosita try to steal my bunny?” she asked after the officers, who'd taken statements and searched the rooms, went to check Darlene's condo for any evidence Paloma might have left.

“Because he's so cute,” Patty said. “Don't worry. It won't happen again.”

“Because you're here?” the little girl asked.

“Your dad's here. And your grandma.” Darlene had gone downstairs with the police. “I'm afraid I have to pack and go home, because I'm not really a nanny.”

“There's no hurry,” Alec said.

“I'm on the clock,” she reminded him.

“My ex-wife's still in town, you'll recall.”

Amazing how that had slipped her mind. Patty couldn't indulge her impulse to retreat, not yet. “Of course. I'll stay as long as you like. In the meantime, you should change your
security code right away. Your mother should do the same. And get a locksmith out here ASAP to rekey your locks.”

“Good idea. I wonder if they work on Sundays.” Alec was looking up a locksmith's number when Sabrina arrived with a shopping bag full of children's clothes to replace the too-small gift. Fiona greeted her eagerly, but as soon as Sabrina learned what had happened and that Eduardo had rushed to the hospital to see his estranged wife, she roared off after only the briefest of farewells.

With tears in her eyes, Fiona stood clutching the bag. “She doesn't want to see how they look on me?”

As Alec gave his daughter a hug, Patty's heart ached for the little girl. Sabrina was still Fiona's mother in spite of everything, and always would be, however flawed.
And perhaps no more flawed than I am.

Patty's uneasiness grew, not because she sensed any further danger but because she'd come so closing to failing everyone. Fiona. Alec. Even Mike. But she had a job to do here and now, and it was no use wallowing in recriminations.

The afternoon proved hectic, with a locksmith coming in at double his usual rate, the police dropping by with further questions, and Eduardo stopping off to apologize for all the trouble. According to him, Paloma had confessed to hiring a detective to learn as much as possible about her rival. When she'd learned of the situation with Fiona, she'd drawn on a previous role as a housemaid in a TV show to take on the part in real life.

“I don't know how she pulled it off. Obviously, she's wild with passion for me,” he said with a mixture of admiration and wonder. “How can I resist such a woman? And now it appears she may go to prison. I must stand by her through this ordeal.”

“You're reconciling?” Alec asked. “How'd that go over with Sabrina?”

“Not well,” the man admitted. “She is flying back to New York this evening. I have asked her to move her things from my apartment. I believe she plans to stay with her parents.”

“That ought to be fun,” Alec muttered.

“Such a beautiful woman. I am sure she will find a new man soon.”

Patty didn't doubt it.

Finally things quieted down. After dinner, Mike confirmed Sabrina's departure on board a flight to New York. And Alec, with some reluctance, released Patty from her work assignment.

Fiona seemed exhausted. Once they'd tucked her into bed and finished reading her the police station book, Patty packed her belongings.

As she emerged into the living room, Alec looked up from the couch. He closed his laptop and set it aside. “I realize there's no reason for you to stay here, but this isn't the end for you and me. I hope it's just the beginning.”

Her heart should have leaped at those words, but Patty couldn't accept them. Neither did she want to dwell on her regret at what a poor showing she'd made. Alec, being kindhearted, would probably dismiss it and thank her again, as he'd already done several times. Even Mike had overlooked her mistakes, embarrassed by his own failure to probe deeper into Rosita's identity.

Nobody blamed Patty for how close Fiona had come to disaster. Nobody but Patty herself. She had to work even harder, perfect her skills and double her alertness, to prove she deserved other people's trust.

“I can't do this,” she told Alec, keeping the width of the room between them. “It's been fun. You're a great guy. I'm glad we finally, well, got together. But we can't go back to where we were because we aren't the same people.”

“I don't expect that….”

“I've gotta go. Long day ahead of me at work tomorrow.” She forced a smile, made an attempt at a casual wave, and turned her back on Alec's hurt, dismayed, yearning expression.

That week took on a surreal quality for Alec. A website in Argentina found out about Paloma's risk-everything-for-love venture from the real Rosita Martin, and played it up as the tragic romantic tale of a wronged wife.

Still, with a badly broken leg and other injuries, Paloma hadn't escaped unscathed. So Alec didn't object when he heard the district attorney's office was considering a plea bargain that might result in a suspended sentence and deportation.

Eduardo remained interested in future research projects, much to Dr. Tartikoff's satisfaction. Alec was willing to work with the man as long as he kept his wife out of the country.

Since he had no desire to hire another nanny, Alec began taking his daughter to the hospital's day-care center. He enrolled her in the summer session of a highly recommended local preschool, which would begin in a few weeks.

At home, Fiona moped around the condo, playing only sporadically with her new toys and taking little interest in her pretty clothes. She kept asking when they were going to see Patty again, and Alec had to admit he didn't know. To her credit, Patty sent the girl funny cartoon emails every day through Darlene, but that was no substitute for having her around. Sabrina's departure didn't seem to affect the child nearly as much as Patty's.

Alec could have sworn his mother was moping, too. She'd
fired Marla, who conceded Paloma had paid for a recommendation, but said she'd believed her claim to be the highly qualified Rosita. Darlene arranged instead to hire a housekeeper from a licensed, bonded agency. She also announced that she'd discovered the name of the card game
casita robada
meant “robbed house.”

“Appropriate, isn't it? Tell Patty. She'll get a good laugh out of it,” Darlene said. “She has such healthy attitudes about things. She's refreshing.”

Alec didn't mention their last conversation. Learning that Patty had rejected the idea of a continuing relationship could only hurt his mother and daughter. And he kept hoping that, with time, she might reconsider.

Through Fact Hunter Investigations, Patty submitted a dry, factual report, while Mike handled all verbal communications. Alec's personal calls to Patty's cell phone went unreturned.

When they'd made love, he could have sworn she'd felt the same intense connection he did. So what was holding her back?

No matter how much he missed her, though, he had to respect her feelings and her distance.

For now.

 

O
N
T
UESDAY
, Patty photographed a cheating husband entering and exiting a motel room with his secretary. On Wednesday, she was able to notify the parents of the runaway teenage boy that he'd been hiding out at an older guy's house, where the pair appeared to be addicted to video games. He'd missed the final few weeks of school, and would no doubt spend his summer making up for it.

With the extra money she'd earned over the weekend, she was tempted to buy a pair of sunglasses with a built-in audio-video recorder that she found online for under $300. She wasn't sure Alec would appreciate learning what she'd done
with his money, though. Not that it was his any longer. And not that she was likely to tell him.

If he ever speaks to me again.
She knew she'd acted like a jerk, turning down his offer of friendship, but where could it lead, really? She didn't fit. Wasn't the right woman. Had failed when he needed her most.

Thursday was her brother's twenty-seventh birthday. That evening she placed an internet call to him at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he was stationed. Amazing how grown-up her kid brother looked, with his blond hair shorter than she remembered and his gray eyes, a shade darker than her own, lighting up as he talked about his new girlfriend.

“I'm thinking of asking her to marry me,” he said, his image remarkably clear on the screen in her home office. “Can you believe it? Me!”

“Congrats,” she told him. “I've already got a tuxedo, so feel free to invite me to the wedding.”

That sparked a laugh. “You're first on my list.”

Without pausing to think, she blurted, “When Grandpa was alive, did you ever feel you were good enough for him?”

“Where did that come from?” he asked.

“Just wondering.” Patty supposed it was a stupid question. She wasn't even sure why she'd asked it.

To her relief, Drew responded seriously. “No. I always wished I was like you.”

Now there was a shock. “You think he considered
me
good enough? The way I kept messing up?”

“That's not what he told me,” her brother responded. “He used to ask why I couldn't be as smart and hardworking as my sister.”

“He did?”

“Of course, he only talked that way when you weren't around.”

“Glad I have a brother to tell me these things.”

They reminisced about Grandpa's backhanded approach to discipline and how he used to insist they make their beds so tightly he could bounce a coin on the sheets. “When I got to boot camp, it felt kind of familiar,” Drew added.

“Yeah. Police academy was a breeze. Well, some of it.” Patty actually felt nostalgic about the Sergeant and his old-fashioned methods, now that she was able to put them in perspective, with her brother for support.

At last the conversation tapered off. “I love you,” she said. “Have the happiest birthday ever.”

“You, too. I mean, thanks.”

After ending the call, she sat staring at her computer. She might as well have an image of Grandpa as a screen saver, because she could see his face very clearly, wearing one of his rare smiles of approval. Too bad they'd never been quite enough to erase all that disappointment.

Maybe that was why she expected herself to be perfect, when there wasn't a perfect human being on earth. Not even Alec.

Alec. Lord, she missed him. But she wasn't ready to return his phone calls. Not yet.

Instead, she put in a call to Bailey. “Hey,” Patty said when her friend answered. “I need your help.”

 

O
N
S
ATURDAY AFTERNOON
, Patty fumbled with her phone and nearly dropped it before her nervous fingers hit the right button. When Alec answered, she said without preamble, “Could you come over to my house in an hour?”

In the moment of silence that followed, she reflected that she should at least have identified herself. She might have also asked how everyone was doing, and made polite chitchat. Would she ever develop social graces?

“I'll be there,” he answered, in that dear, familiar voice. “Should I bring anything special?”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Body armor? Clay pigeons?”

“Just yourself.” Patty clicked off and then realized she hadn't said goodbye. Should she call him back? Oh, right. That
would
be awkward.
“Hi. Just wanted to say goodbye. So, bye.”

An hour. She'd better hurry.

In the bedroom, she took out two dresses she'd bought yesterday while shopping with Bailey. Real dresses. Two of them. One blue, one green. They were both cut low enough to show that she had breasts and high enough to show that she had legs. Bailey had assured her both were flattering without looking cheap.

Panty hose, high heels, a spritz of perfume that Bailey had helped her select. Good thing Patty already had the new hairstyle.

“I feel like your fairy godmother,” her friend had chirped. She'd been in a buoyant mood all evening, thanks to the fact that her sister and brother-in-law had finally made up for sticking her with some bills. A rental house they owned had become vacant, and they'd promised to let her live there rent-free during the pregnancy.

In the bathroom, Patty applied the makeup she'd bought at a department-store cosmetics counter, where the saleslady had been happy to pick out this year's colors and show her the latest application techniques. In return, of course, for selling her a slew of wildly overpriced merchandise.

Worth every penny, Patty decided as she stepped back to regard her image. Oh, wait! She'd forgotten.

In the bedroom, she rummaged through a bureau drawer until she found the red-and-black thong panties she'd won at Nora's bridal shower, and changed into them. They felt weird, but gave her confidence. Reminded her she was just as much a woman as Sabrina or anybody else.

The doorbell rang.

Heart pounding, Patty jumped up and half ran to answer, nearly tripping in her three-inch heels. After a deep breath, she flung open the door.

And stared in dismay at the clot of beefy guys standing there. Bill Sanchez. George Green. Captain Reed. Leo. And Mike.

“Say what?” she asked.

Leo let out a wolf whistle. “Never thought you'd get this dressed up for our big match.” In he clumped, followed by the others, laden with six-packs of beer, bags of pretzels and chips and cartons of dip. They didn't seem to notice, or care, that Patty practically had to cartwheel backward to get out of their way. “You clean up great, by the way.”

“Nobody told me our match was today,” she protested.

“Didn't you get the email?” George asked. “Too busy jumping off rooftops and tackling soap opera stars, I guess.”

No use arguing that she always checked her business email account but let the personal one slide. “I have plans.”

“You defaulting?” Leo waggled an eyebrow.

“No way!” She couldn't back down. They'd never let her forget it. “You're on.”

The bell rang again. Cheeks flaming, Patty went to the door.

A bouquet of roses in hand, Alec stood there wearing a crisply pressed sport shirt, body-hugging jeans and an expression of pure hope. “Wow, you're a knockout.” At a noise from behind her, he blinked. “You throwing a party?”

“They just showed up. It's that stupid bet I made about beating Leo at pool.” Patty reached for the bouquet and held it to her nose. Only the faintest trace of a scent, but it filled her with joy.

She heard footsteps from behind. “You aren't going to bat that one away?” Mike teased.

“Not in a million years,” Patty said.

A slow grin spread across Alec's face. “Is it too late to place my bet on you?”

Her heart squeezed. “Absolutely not.”

 

P
ATTY WOULD HAVE HAVE WON
the match if she hadn't stumbled in those annoying high heels and missed a bank shot. But she refused to make excuses.

“You win, fair and square,” she told Leo. “But we're scheduling a rematch, and next time, I'm gonna teach you a few things.”

“Big words,” he hooted, and cheerfully took her twenty-dollar bill.

“Guess that's our cue to make ourselves scarce,” said Mike, casting a meaningful glance at George and Bill, who were racking the balls for another game.

“Aw, come on.” But George complied without further protest.

“And clean up your chips on the way out,” Patty added. “I've got my own junk food.”

“I'm taking the beer,” said Bill.

“I didn't mean that.”

“Too late.”

Finally they were gone, leaving only a scattering of crumbs, a half-eaten container of dip and a few empty beer cans littering the den. Ignoring the mess, Patty took Alec's hand and led him into the living room.

The place didn't appeal to her the way it used to, she realized as they sat on her lumpy couch. The big-screen TV, easy-to-clean linoleum floor and scarred thrift-store furniture had been convenient, but there was something to be said for soothing colors and soft textures. On the coffee table, the roses leaned every which way in their oversize jar.

“I guess it's time I grew up,” Patty mused.

“I love you the way you are.” His hands cupping hers, Alec regarded her fiercely. “There isn't anything about you I don't love.”

He'd said he loved her. Patty swallowed hard. Before she could respond, she had to explain. “The reason I called… I shouldn't have run away last Sunday. You deserve a second chance. And then some.”

Alec's mouth twisted ruefully. “I was a complete idiot back in high school. I should have trusted my feelings and held on to you for all I was worth.”

“You hurt me.” Tears burned, and for a moment Patty could hear Grandpa scolding her about being one of those weak women who gave in to their emotions. But her feelings for Alec didn't make her weak. They filled her with strength. “Listen—”

“I'm sorry—” he said at the same time.

“Oh, quit apologizing and kiss me,” she said, and pulled him close.

The kiss nearly melted her panty hose. She'd have liked a lot more, but something rustled in his shirt pocket, and he drew back.

“Hold on.” He extracted a folded piece of paper and gave it to her. “I'm hoping we can skip the whole courtship business, since we already did that, and go right to the important part.”

Wondering, Patty opened the sheet. It was a child's drawing of a ring with a lopsided diamond on top.

“I didn't have time to buy a real ring after you called,” Alec explained, “so I asked Fiona to draw one. I didn't tell her what it was for, in case you turned me down. I just said I thought you'd like it.”

Her throat clamped so tightly Patty couldn't speak. She'd once asked Bailey what it took to make a marriage work, but she'd had to discover the answer for herself. You needed to be
friends and trust each other. You should feel happy together. And you had to be willing to throw yourself off a balcony and know that he'd catch you.

“Patty Hartman, will you marry me?” Alec asked.

“I guess I better,” she said, “because you're the only man I've ever loved or ever will.”

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

They both started to laugh. When Alec held out his arms, Patty snuggled right up to him with a wonderful, warm, tingly feeling that told her this was right where she belonged.